California Raptor Center Welcomes Visitors to Open House May 1

It's always exciting to see our non-releasable "taming birds" out on the glove with the well-trained, enthusiastic volunteers at the School of Veterinary Medicine's California Raptor Center.

The public is invited to a free Spring Open House at the California Raptor Center (CRC) on Saturday, May 1, 2010. We will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and there will be special presentations at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. We also invite people to join our Hawk Walk which starts at the CRC gate at 8:00 a.m. and finishes at 9:00 a.m. (bring binoculars).

At CRC we care for injured raptors (eagles, hawks, vultures and owls), rehabilitating and releasing them back to the wild whenever we can. Birds that cannot be released are trained to take part in our Education Program. The Open House is designed to show people what we do. The special presentations will demonstrate fascinating features of raptor biology and ecology, and visitors will be able to see many non-releasable raptors housed in display cages as well as birds out on the glove (including Mikey, the Red Shouldered Hawk who was featured on Huell Howser’s California’s Gold television show). Our onsite museum will also be open.

Our Open House and similar Raptor Center educational programs are free. A significant portion of the Raptor Center’s work is made possible by generous donations from concerned friends like you. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to help us continue rehabilitating and releasing these wonderful birds back into the wild. How you can help: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/calraptor/donation.cfm

Directions: From Interstate 80 take the UC Davis exit. Turn south on Old Davis Road heading away from the main campus. Cross the railroad tracks and keep going until there is a rise in the road leading up to the Putah Creek Bridge. At the side of the rise there is a low-profile blue and gold California Raptor Center sign with a diagonal arrow pointing to the left. Do not cross the bridge. Instead turn left onto the paved levee road and follow it for one block until it dips down off the levee, and then turn right into the CRC parking lot. Parking is free.